Homeschool Halloween: A How-To

 

I figured that title might get your attention. After all, homeschooling and Halloween don’t seem to go hand-in-hand, but sometimes they do! I asked my boyfriend what he thought of when I said ‘homeschool Halloween’ and he said “a bunch of kids dressed up as the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.” I’m glad that’s all he could come up with!

Aside from a few stints in public and private schools, I was homeschooled most of my growing up years. My younger sister, Rebecca, is a sophomore in high school and also homeschooled. We’ve both been asked many times if we have friends or have trouble adjusting to a social setting. People are surprised to learn that yes, we have friends, and no, we don’t have problems in social settings. Rebecca in particular thrives in them, whence the reason for this blog post!

My sister is a part of a homeschool co-op in our community. Every week she gets together with her peers whom are also homeschooled and they attend classes taught by professional teachers. As a result of this activity, she has quite a few friends! Rebecca asked my mom if she could invite a few buddies over for a Halloween party this year. Not knowing what the heck to do with a bunch of hungry, energized teenagers, my mom turned to Pinterest for ideas. Here’s what she came up with:

1. Glow Stick Cooler– Put green glow sticks under the ice in a cooler before adding drinks
2. Milk Jug Lanters– Use old milk jugs with battery operated lights in them to line a side walk or drive way
3. Magic Potion Punch– Mix lemon-lime soda, grape-juice, lemonade, and grape jello for a fizzy drink
4. Harvest Hash– Trail mix combining candy corn, pretzels, M&Ms, Bugles, and assorted nuts to snack on
5. Dancing Ghosts– Shape chicken wire into ghostly figures then spray paint with glow in the dark paint (not sure how well this one will go)
6. Head in a Jar– Using a photo editor, blend two images together to make a flat image of a head. Print and place inside jar on a table near hungry snackers
7. Caramel Apple Pops– Use a mellon scooper to dig out round-shaped apple pieces to dip in caramel sauce. Sprinkle with Halloween-themed sprinkles and then cool
8. Blacklight Glow– Replace normal light bulbs in the house with black light bulbs for an eerie glow

My mom also bought orange lights to string along the fence and spider webs to hang in the doorways. The plan is to let the kids, I mean teens, hang outside around the fire pit in our backyard. Aside from decorating and a few yummies to eat, my parents are taking a step back and letting my sister and her guests do as they please. They’re at the perfect age where they don’t need silly games to keep them busy, all they do is talk and engage in shenanigans anyway.

In essence, this is ‘homeschool Halloween’. No helicopter parenting, just good food, friends, and decorations. The only difference between this party and that of a kid who may not be homeschooled, is the lack of alcohol involved. Most of the parents are very involved in their teens’ lives and choose to homeschool to keep them out of environments where they may be pressured to drink. Believe it or not, this was actually a good way to grow up.

Rebecca’s party is the night before Halloween and unfortunately, I won’t get to be there. I’ll be in Texas going to a masquerade ball with my boyfriend! Post to come on that later!